Phineas bennet



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N. PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER. WASHINGTON. Dv C.

UNITED sTATEs 2rATsNT OFFICE PHNEAS BENNET, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATIN G STEAM.

Specification of Letters Patent No. `870, dated August 3, 1838.V

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHiNEAs BENNET, of the city of New York, State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in the Mode of Applying the Gaseous Products of Combustion to Generating of Steam and to Aid in Giving Motion to Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

In my engine, the furnace is to be made air tight, andthe `air by which the combustion ofthe fuel is to be effected, is to be forced into said furnace under a very conA siderable degree of pressure, by means of blowing cylinders, or other competent blowing apparatus to be worked bythe power of the engine. The air so forced in may be car ried wholly throughthe lire, being introduced belowT the grate bars; or a portion of it may be made to pass into the furnace near to the surface of the burning fuel, forthe purpose of causing the entire combustion of the smoke, and the combustible gases which escape from the fuel; this introduction of the air is to be regulated by suitable valves, in a way to be presently described. The highly heated gases thus produced, consisting principally of carbonio acid gas and nitrogen, are to be made to pass through a part of the water of the boiler, thus communicating a portion of this heat thereto, and, consequently, aiding in the production of steam therefrom; after which, these gases enter the cylinder with the steam, and cooperate therewith by the elasticity consequent upon their high temperature, in op` erating the engine. I regulate the passing of the heated gases through the water by means of what I denominate a cap-valve. v Y

The furnace, which in Figure 1 in the accompanying drawing, is represented in the form of a vertical cylinder, is surrounded by water, contained in a space left for that purpose, between the cylindrical case of the boiler and the cylindrical furnace. The topplate of thefurnace has an opening through it into the Isteam-chamber above it,.which opening is surrounded by a neck or collar,

rising above the surface of t-he water in the boiler, the water covering the top plate of the furnace, to the height of two or three inches, more or less. The cap-valve, which is an inverted cylindrical box, passes over the neck or collar, above named, its edges dipping into the water, but standing at a suflicient distance from the neck, or collar,

`be distinct form each other, as may be to allow a passage to the heated gases. By

means of a sliding rod, the ca may be raised i or lowered, and is capable o being brought into close contact with the top plate of the boiler to which it is accurately fitted,l

It is necessary, inmy furnace, tofeed the therein for thedueactioii ofthe engine, and this I effect in the following manner Vfire without disturbing the pressure required i Upon the top .plate of the boiler,I erect a tube,or cylinder,` like the ordinary? chimx ney, or flue, of a. boiler, which cylinder, so

erected constitutes, with itsappurtenances,`

my fuel reservoir. I place a` shutter horizontally, and sliding steam tight, `across i the reservoir, close, or near, to the top plate ofthe boiler, and a second shutter at such heights above this as may be Vrendered necessary by the nature and quantity ofthe fuel to `be used. When the glowermost` of 'equalized by establishing a communication by means of a tube, regulated by a stop-cock,

between the interior of the fuel reservoir and the boiler, or the furnace; and also between said reservoir 4and the surrounding atmosphere; the use and operation of the apparatus so arranged will be obvious `to every engineer. The ashes produced by the 'lov combustion of the fuel, fall into a closed ash-pit, into which there is to be an opening closed by a valve, shutter, orcock, by the opening of which, the ashes may be readily removed when necessary. They `may if desired,be blown out, by employing the condensed gases in the furnace to operate through an opening, closed by aA valve, for that purpose.- There is to be a `draft hole, opening into the ash-pit, which is left open for the purpose of kindling the fire, and getting up the steam, and which is to be perfectly closed when the blast is on. The same opening may be used for blowing oif,forV

otherwise removing, 'the ashes, or they may preferred. i i

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. l is:

a vertical section of the furnace, the boiler, and their appendages.

A, A, is the interior ofthe furnace; B, B. the grate, and C, the ash-pit.

D, is the draft hole, which is to be kep open while lighting the. fire, and gettting up steam, but which is to be securely closed when the blowing apparatus is in motion.

E, is the opening for the introduction Vof the blast, communicating by means of the t-ubes F and G, with ash-pit C, or with the furnace at, or near, the upper part of the burning fuel.` Y

H, H, is the shell, or case, of the cylindrical boiler, containing water inV the space I, I, I, between it and the shell of the furnace K, K. v f

The top plate of the furnace is shown at L, L., with its openings surrounded by the neck, or collar, M, M, this collar, rising above the water line a, a.

N, N, is the cap-valve'attached to the rod which rod passes through av stuiiing box in the top plate O, of the boiler.

P, P, constitutes the steam chamber, Q

Y being the steam pipe. Y

The cap-valve may be loaded in any required degree, or it may be raised and lowered by means Vof a screw or other device, according to the force of the blast, and other circumstances. Its lower edge is turned and ground so as to' lit closely against its seat upon the upper side of the top-plate S', S, of the furnace. 4

R, is the fuel reservoir, the cylinder constituting which, is continued down and descends through the steam chamber of the boiler, uniting with the top plate of the furnace, as seen in drawing.

S, S, are the sliding shutters which are shown as provided with racks and pinions, for the app-lying of suicient force by means of a winch to pass them into, or out of, the recesses T, T, prepared to receive them.

Instead of the upper shutter, I sometimes cover the top of the reservoir with a round plate which plate, or cover, may be turned around upon a screw, or pin, c, when fuel is to be inserted, and be replaced and screwed down before the lower shutter is opened. This plate must, of course, make a perfect joint with the cylinder.

When used on locomotive carriages, for the purpose of traveling upon railroads, it will be most convenient to place the cylindrical boiler and furnace horizontally; and this will also be preferred in other situations. In Fig. 2 I have shown the manner in which the respective parts may be arranged when the boiler is so placed,vand it will be seen that the principle upon which I proceedV is still maintained throughout, no other change being made than that which is rendered necessary by its new position. In this figure, the same letterspof reference are used to designate like parts, as are employed in F igfl; and they willnot need, therefore, to be again described; but lI will proceed to point out such particularsV as may not be obvious upon inspection. As the steam chamber extends along lthe cylinder, when it is placed horizontally, a larger space is allowed between the two cylinders, at the upper side I', I, than is requisite at the lower, I, I, which then admits of sufficient room above the Water line, a, a, for the steam chamber. The draft hole, D, is represented as on the under side of the cylinder, belowYV the ash pit; it may, however, be in the end,

allowedto escape when the fire is first lighted; a similar flue is, usually, placed in the vertical furnace, but is not represented in the drawing.

I have thus fully described all the essential parts of my steam engine, and have shown what I esteem the most convenient manner in which the respective parts thereof may be arranged, without intending thereby to llimit myself on such points, Vmy invention not being vdependent upon any particular arrangement of the parts; but

What I do claim as constituting my invention, and for which I desire to obtain Letters Patent is l. The construction and employment of an air tight furnace, in to which air is to be blown under considerable pressure; combining with said furnace the Ycap valve above described,'with its appendages, or any other similar apparatus, so constructed as to operate substantially in the manner set forth.

I do not claim the air tight furnace, with its blast, independently of the above named combination.

2. I likewise claim in combination with such a furnace and cap valve, or any analogous apparatus, an air tight reservoir for fuel, constructed in the manner and for the purpose 4of supplying the furnace with fuel without interfering with the pressure from the blasts by which the combustion is kept up.

PHINEAS BENNET. Witnesses:

A. F. JOHN, CHARLES E. HURDY. 

